Tag: Series

RENEWED

I have watched a video about how Sweden transforms its wastes into energy that is being used to light up homes. So efficient is their process that they are already importing their neighbouring countries’ garbage to catch up with the demand. In this effect, their need for landfill maintenance is lessened. I can’t help but imagine, what if the Philippines will create its own source of energy from the amount of garbage we produce? Pihado makakatipid tayo sa kuryente. Sa dami ba naman ng mga basura natin na pwedeng ma-convert sa kuryente. Lilinis na kahit paano ang kapaligiran, mababawasan ang landfill, makakatipid pa kahit paano. I can only imagine.

In physics, there is what we call the law of conservation of energy. It says that energy cannot be created nor destroyed. Sweden doesn’t create energy – it renews the potential energy from their wastes and converts it to a usable form of energy.

God’s love is like a refreshing water after a tiring jog, like the warmth of a blanket on a very cold night. He renews our energy so we can still move on in life.

Ngunit salamat sa dakilang pag-ibig ng Dios sa atin, that when we come to Him, He gives us rest and restoration. Kapag sobrang pagod ka na, sobrang di mo na kaya ang lahat ng mga pagsubok na pinagdadaanan mo, He gives an invitation: “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.” God’s love is like a refreshing water after a tiring jog, like the warmth of a blanket on a very cold night. He renews our energy so we can still move on in life.

Kung ang mga basura ng Sweden ay nare-renew at nagiging kapaki-pakinabang, how much more His beloved children (na syempre naman mas higit sa basura) find renewal in the Lord? Seek the Lord and find rest, and be restored. Renew your strength and passion.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

Have you ever felt so insecure because of your physical appearance? May ibang dinidibdib nila ito masyado. Lalo na ngayong hindi lang physical bullying ang rampant, mas mabilis na rin ang pangungutya dulot ng social media. Welcome to the age of cyber bullying, where lives can change in just an insensitive post, comment or tweet. Some victims end up miserable, or even end up suicidal.

Who determines beauty? Is it the media powered by print ads and depicted by famous celebrities? Is it the social media played by impulsive generation of keyboard warriors? What makes a person beautiful? Is it the based solely on physical appearance, on fame and economic status, or on least grammatical errors committed when posting on social networking sites?

Sometimes the world will throw insults on us because of our “beauty” and will weigh us according to its standards. But as the Bride of Christ, we are already beautiful in His sight because He has already cleansed us with his most precious blood.

I believe beauty will always be subjective. Maaring maging maganda ka at mabuti sa harapan ng iba ngunit sa paningin ng iba, makakatanggap ka pa rin ng panghuhusga. This is why we don’t settle for beauty that fades away. Women (I believe this should apply to men as well, lalo na ngayon na parang mas banidoso na ang mga lalaki) are instructed that [their] beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes but from the inner disposition of [the] heart, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in God’s sight.1and are reminded that charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.2

Sometimes the world will throw insults on us because of our “beauty” and will weigh us according to its standards. But as the Bride of Christ, we are already beautiful in His sight because He has already cleansed us with his most precious blood. We are beautiful, and in His time He will return to us and carry us to His presence, as a groom carrying His beautiful bride to their destined future.

RESCUED

Few years ago, mga 2008 yata, I was a part of a five-week Missions work to Zambales. Together with my friend Henry, our task is to gather the children and teach them Bible stories, teach them songs kahit pareho kaming may magagandang boses (kung di mo pa rin gets, pun intended po ito) and at least plant God’s word and in their hearts kahit sa mura nilang edad. On the average, the two of us were reaching out to at least 50-70 children a day, for five weeks. Minsan lumalagpas pa. Bukod sa laban ni Floyd Mayweather Jr. at ni Oscar dela Hoya noong panahong iyon na nandun kami, I will never forget about the privilege of introducing Christ in the lives of the children of Dingin, Iba, Zambales.

One particular occasion, nang mapagkatuwaan namin na magswimming after a tiring day of class, sumama sa amin na magswimming sa dagat ang ilan sa mga batang estudyante namin. Ikaw na magturo sa tabi ng dagat kundi ka maengganyong magtampisaw at lumangoy-langoy. I don’t know how to swim properly, and soon enough the water became too deep for my feet to touch, I know I am next to drowning. In their panic, the children rushed to me, contributing to my struggle on making it to safety. I tell you, I have never been afraid all my life, not just for my own welfare but for 3-4 kids who clung to me that time. I prayed hard and tried to swim even harder. Praise the Lord, I made it out alive. Di na muna ulit ako bumalik ng dagat after that.

My story is a story of rescue. I was saved from the imminent danger I am facing during that time. Should I surrendered myself to the waves and stopped swimming hard to get myself to the shore, I know I couldn’t make it alive. Di ako marunong lumangoy pero pinilit ko.

He saw us desperately in need of help and offered his hand to rescue us. He willingly gave His own comfort, His own life to bring us to a place of safety. Instead of us swimming in the dire sea of destitution, He swam in it Himself and lifted us up and brought us to life.

However there is a situation na kahit anong pilit na langoy ang gawin ko – gawin natin, we can never save ourselves. We need to be rescued. We need to cross from one place to another, from a place of sheer desperation and helplessness to a place where we can find comfort and peace. We need to cross from a place where we are sure not to get out alive to a place where we know there is assurance of life. Yet to cross from that hopeless place to the place of safety cannot be done with our efforts, kahit gaanong langoy o kampay pa ng mga kamay at padyak ng paa. We cannot rescue ourselves – we need to be rescued.

This is when Christ entered the scene. He saw us desperately in need of help and offered his hand to rescue us. He willingly gave His own comfort, His own life to bring us to a place of safety. Instead of us swimming in the dire sea of destitution, He swam in it Himself and lifted us up and brought us to life. Oh, what a wonderful rescue.

Kung naranasan mo na ang maligtas sa tiyak na kapahamakan, you know how comforting it is to be rescued. How much more when you realize that Jesus Christ has rescued you (and is willing to rescue you) with a divine kind of rescue! Because of what He has done on the cross of Calvary, he has brought us from death to life, from a place of hopelessness to a place of eternal security and of peace. Would you like to be rescued by Jesus and pass from death to life? Ask Him to come into your heart today.

For He has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.

PRIVILEGED

I attended the Sunday morning service in spite of the body ache and drowsiness. I am not a morning person so waking up earlier than my usual routine, especially during weekends is a challenge. But enough of the introductions, I just want to say that I am very privileged. We are all privileged.

I tell you, when someone makes an effort to do things for you just to express his affection, I can say you are very privileged. May mga tao akong nakikilala na nagsasabing ang asawa nila or ang boyfriend/girlfriend nila ay hindi expressive, much more romantic. It is hard to prove one’s love kung hindi rin ito mabibigyan ng justice through efforts or kahit kaunting patunay.

He has proven His love in many ways but let me just start with His message.

We are privileged because through the years, courageous men and women of faith, in their love for God and His Word, made an effort to make sure the Word will reach our time – to the point of risking, or sacrificing their own lives. We are privileged because we are a generation who can listen to God in more ways than before.

We are privileged because God’s Word reached us and offered us an invitation for eternal life. We are privileged because we can hold onto physically the written Word of God – the Bible in our hands. We are privileged because through the years, courageous men and women of faith, in their love for God and His Word, made an effort to make sure the Word will reach our time – to the point of risking, or sacrificing their own lives. We are privileged because we are a generation who can listen to God in more ways than before. We are privileged. Isn’t it overwhelming?

I stumbled upon this blog link-up series called #YouBlogYou where you just blog about yourself as a blogger. I believe that through this series, I’d be able to know myself more when it comes to blogging. Through this series, I’m pretty sure I’ll learn a lot from my fellow, more experienced bloggers.

This series requires us to answer 11 questions in relation to our blog itself or as a blogger personally. Let’s get it on!

1. What inspired you to blog?

I really love to write. Prior to blogging, most of my poems and notes were written on a tickler or at the back of my high school “Bayani Fernando” notebook. Initially blogosphere for me is a place to preserve my poems but when my friends started to give comments for my write-ups, I am encouraged to blog so I can share my ideas, reflections and random thoughts inside my head.

2. When did you start blogging?

I can no longer remember the exact year but I began posting articles online since Multiply days. Then come Facebook Notes. I am actually double-minded when it comes to where I want to post my posts, hopping from Weebly to Blogspot and finally to free WordPress (right now I am still contemplating to revert my page to Blogspot again), so I find it hard to trace back when was the first time I started blogging. Only this year I’ve resolved to blog on a more serious note.

3. What’s the topic you enjoy blogging the most?

I am a reflective person and so most of my blogs are about my personal devotions and spiritual reflections. I also enjoy writing about relationships and any significant life events I can relate to what I read from the Bible. So basically my niche is more on inspirational posts.

4. How long does it usually take you to finish a blog post?

Haha! When procrastination takes the best of me, I usually spend a week or more for a single topic though it keeps on lingering on my mind. But when my creative juices keep on oozing, I can finish a post in a day or two, especially when I have my Aha! moments.

5. If you were to name three (3) goals you want your blog to achieve next year, what would it be?

Consistent blog posting!

Significant increase in pageviews and subscriptions

Do sponsored posts

6. Does your family know about your blogging career? Why or why not?

Yes, they know about me blogging but they see it only as my hobby. While they know that I blog, they care less about what I write and they don’t read my blogposts mainly because my parents are not into internet or social media and my brother has different interests.

7. Which blog or blogger inspires you the most?

My friend and co-writer on our student publication, Aika Loraine has inspired me to be active in blogging again. Then I was introduced to Doc. Eamer and his group of bloggers Philippine Singles Association, now my circle of blogger friends. When it comes to content and presentation, I admire Ms. Rej’s superaena.com because of its neatness and striking photographs, something that I really want to apply on my own blog.

8. What is the greatest achievement your blog has received? If you haven’t got any, what would be the achievement you’d want to receive?

I haven’t received any achievement yet aside from the usual notifications from my free WordPress but if there’s a roster for the most influential bloggers in the Philippines, I’d love to belong on that list.

9. What is your best viewed post? Share it with us by providing a hyperlink and a short description about it.

I don’t have wide readership yet so my best viewed (in my case, commented) post is in Facebook Notes, entitled Letter to my God’s Will. As the title implies, this is my hopeless romantic litany to and for my future someone. First published December 29, 2009, I tried to re-publish it using my WP blog. My post about AlDub and Why We Love Them also rode the bandwagon, and I think there is no need for an explanation why it ranks as one of my best viewed WP post.

10. If you were to give out three (3) advises for newbie bloggers, what would it be?

Content and consistency plays a major role for your exposure

Be friendly with other bloggers. Interact, be courteous and be an encouragement to other bloggers

Just pour out your heart to what you are doing. Nothing is more rewarding than doing what you love most.

11. If you were to give out three (3) advises for yourself as a blogger, what would it be?

Be consistent. Utang na loob. Haha!

Never stop learning! Allot time for self-development and stick to it.

You have something to say. Never believe the idea that your voice is insignificant. Minsan kasi I feel so insecure.

That’s it for now! Til next part of the series! 🙂

Should you wish to join this link-up series, please feel free to click the image below. #YouBlogYou!

Hosea’s story
The Book of Hosea portrays an episode where the people practice religious ceremonies without being mindful of God himself. There was no genuine devotion and commitment to the Lord, leading to compromise, selfish ambition, and lack of integrity in one’s personal activities and dealings. Kung ganito ang buong bansa, dishonesty and corruption will become endemic; sooner or later that nation is in imminent danger of God’s judgment.

Ang God’s will for Hosea to marry is a prostitute. Of all the people, bakit sa ganun pang klaseng babae? But God has a message to say through their relationship. So Hosea took Gomer the harlot to be his wife and they had sons and daughters, all with interesting names.

Because of Gomer’s marital unfaithfulness, Hosea has all the reason in the world to leave her and let her continue living the life she wanted for herself. Yet his love can never be overcome by pressure and insult from other people. May forever kay Hosea.

Because of Gomer’s marital unfaithfulness, Hosea has all the reason in the world to leave her and let her continue living the life she wanted for herself. Yet his love can never be overcome by pressure and insult from other people. May forever kay Hosea. Kahit makailang ulit na magtaksil si Gomer, ganun ding ulit siyang tinatanggap ni Hosea.

Our story
Theirs is a story of how love covers a multitude of sin, kahit adultery pa. Pero spiritually speaking, their story is our story as well. A lot of us might say, “I will never have that kind of story, I will never be like Hosea”. However, this is a very presumptuous statement. Yes, most of us never want to be like Hosea, but we can be like Gomer in our relationship to God even without us realizing.

2. We become like Gomer when we refuse to recognize the blessings God has given us.
Gomer was given the best his husband can afford to give. Dun pa lang malaking bagay na dapat sa kanya.

Our discontent makes us feel bad about ourselves and blinds us from what we already have in our lap.

Pero ewan ko ba, naghahanap pa rin siya ng iba. Binigyan ng rose, naghanap ng tulips. Binigyan ng coke, gusto pa diet coke! I believe Hosea is a good provider to his family, but Gomer’s discontent brings her to the lap of other lovers, who doesn’t really love her at all. Minsan ganito din tayo e. We tend to compare what we don’t have with what others have and end up feeling miserable. Pero di natin alam ganun din sila sa kung anong meron tayo. Our discontent makes us feel bad about ourselves and blinds us from what we already have in our lap. Think about it. The fact that you are reading this post means that you have an internet connection, no matter how slow it is, compared to people who doesn’t even know what internet is.

3. We become like Gomer when our source of satisfaction and joy is no longer God himself.
Gomer has a lot of things to be grateful for. In spite of her background and way of living, someone has redeemed her and gave her a new identity. She is no longer Gomer the Harlot, but Gomer the Beloved.

Is God, whom has redeemed you and saved you and has given you a new identity in Christ still the source of your joy?

As a beloved wife and mother, her pleasure and source of joy should be her husband, but the reality proves the otherwise. Wala sa asawa niya ang kanyang kasiyahan. Wala sa pamilya niya ang kanyang kagalakan. Nasa kandungan pa rin ng iba. Maybe you are thinking, “she needs professional help badly”. But think about this: Is God, whom has redeemed you and saved you and has given you a new identity in Christ still the source of your joy? Or we relegate our joy to the things we have: possessions, relationships, accomplishments and self-image? Mahirap sagutin, actually.

Note To Self

This is my virtual space for all my random musings on life, love, ministry and everything in between. Join me as I jot down notes as I explore and enjoy what God has offered me in my tiny corner in this world.